I would do it. My uncle had pancreatic cancer and when he was on hospice his friend had a beer with him every night. Now it was not through a peg but my point is, you should always do what you want. Life is too short. So, if you know it won't damage anything, I would do it.

Cookey, I hope Rob enjoyed his brandy too.

Charm...how are you feeling? Is there a thread out there that I missed? Are you still in the hospital? I imagine so. I guess you are using the computer obviously...how's it going. Always thinking of you!!

Suzanne

cookey
wow is all I can say - alcoholism is a terrible disease also -
you are ana amazing woman

suzanne
thanks yep still in the hospital 10 days already and looks like a few more to go. I did not realize that getting a PEG meant no food for the nrxt 24 hours plus I don:t have a foof tube< I my Peg is connected to a urinal drainage bag that fills up with very ugly looking stomach secretions. While it may be a CCC, Gerogrtown University Hospital is a hellhole,. I will never set foot here again. I just had my speech and swallowing therapy prescription transferred out to Inova Seminary in alexandria VA. NO explanations or warnings that instead of feeding me, it;d be draining me. Plus I was 137 lbs when I checked in and they never weighted me, so my son tonite figured out how to operate this hi tech bed scale and I am now down to 125 lbs at 5'11". Guess I will need to use the PEG heavy duty oh yeah and after this shitty nursing care I am going to enjoy an alcohol buzz

Man the lowest I got was 125 and I looked like crap and I'm only 5'7". I can't imagine another 4" of height. If you've lost 12 lbs in 10 days what does your blood work look like? You need to get to a hospital...oh wait, you're already in one! I know call 911 and ask to be taken to the nearest ER.

David the thought crossed my mind, but caling an ambulance in Washinton DC is like asking for the death penalty. ust read the Washigton Post. No, I'll be out soon and then I willl start the formal chain of complaints

lol...good one David. Charm..that really stinks. I understand the questions about alcohol. Are the meds helping you get through the days? What are they saying about your weight loss? I don't understand a lot about pegs. Isn't the point so you can eat? Why are they draining all of that yummy tummy stuff?

I can't wait to hear that you are home and out of there. Any idea when that will be? Maybe your son can bring a flask..lol

(((((hugs)))) at least you have to talk to whenever you want. We're here for you and we can joke about the crappy nurses

I'm sure this won't help you but...I was supposed to see a speech therapist after my last tongue lopping. They made me get in there asap to see them before my surgery. They were like//"Oh..suzanne we will come and see you in the hospital then we will treat you as an outparient" I have not seen them since I ate for them..lol

I swear...do us patients have to tell them everything?

Just about like the swallow therapist that came yo see me in the hospital. I was 10 days post surgery, she shows up with applesauce and pudding. I told her I did not like applesauce to get out of trying something that I new it was not time for. She leaves and comes back with a Xerox copy of about 15 pages on total glossectomy and all of the things that I will never do again and I never saw her again. I am so glad that I did not listen to her.

I had some pretty crappy nurses too Charm. I paged my sister and my doctor a little before 8 AM one morning after a very bad night and had several people jumping through hoops quickly. Two of the nurses on duty that night were instructed to stay out of my room from then on. Yes once I got home and had some fight in me again I made sure that everyone knew how unhappy I was with my patient experience. I was asked for permission to be used as an example in their training. I told the of course and I would even participate in the training if they liked.

Patty

oH THERE WILL BE jUSTICE DONE
TMy swallowing therapists were really good here which is a shame The best one even gave me her card to give to my new therapist so that the one can get her personal notes on my barium swallow failure. It;s kust that the setting in the basement is akin to 18th century Bedlam aslyum no kidding
overcrowded people shouting in the waiting room etc while the alexandria one is quiet and clean plus on time
ith the PEG there is no kife or death like keeping swallowing during radiation was a year and a half ago

Charm i am intrigued!!!! Rob had his PEG fitted and his first feed about 4 hours later.Why have you got a drainage bag?whats it for?If you are in hospital why aren't you getting IV fluids to keep you hydrated and fed?
I am not amazing charm lol i just loved him,and his drinking habits which i considered to be just heavy social drinking ,were part of his every day routine.It was only when he couldn't drink that i realised he was dependant.When he went into the hospice,they gave him a small beer fridge in his room,and NEVER attempted or suggested that he shouldn't enjoy a couple of beers every evening,in fact they positively encouraged it.I was amazed considering how much morphine he was on,but it didn't seem to cause any problems to him at all,and even gave him a sense of normality.Perhaps if i had realised that the alcohol and drugs mix wasn't as dangerous as i thought i wouldn't have confronted him so much and we wouldn't have had so much conflict.It just used to baffle me how he could sit with a bottle of beer when every mouthful caused him so much pain.I think now that it was his own personal way of sticking two fingers up to his disease,and when all said and done horses and stable doors came to mind.
One thing it taught me was, not to be so judgmental.At the end of the day if it had been me with his disease ,especially in the last few weeks,i think i would be needing a few drinks to get me through.


hope you are home soon

love liz